Pearl Castaway level?

[jrapps]

I really though this thread was going to be more about speculating what perks the Pearls will get than a conversation about how Disney should have changed the way they measure status. Obviously DCL made their decision and announced 25 nights. At this point, I'm more interested in what they might offer the Pearls to incentive us to book more cruises than whether or not picking 25 nights was fair. Ho-hum perks means it might take me 5,6,7 years to hit Pearl. Fantastic perks may persuade me to realign more of my upcoming cruises to DCL to hit it faster (which means more money for Disney!)

Giving me back Boarding Group 0 is a ho-hum perk to me. So is a Pearl lanyard.

Fantastic perk examples:
Personalized gift in stateroom (like family name embroidered)
Free Remy/Enchante (or 2 free Palo)
50% off WiFi Package
140+ Day booking Window (or book as soon as Concierge can book)
x amount of free alcoholic drinks/day
Priority disembarkation at ports
Exclusive robes in stateroom
Priority spots at shows, pirate night, etc
Suite Lounge Access
Exclusive Pearl lunch one day in Main Dining Room
Private departure breakfast (with a better menu than "see ya real soon"

 

[holula]

I’d rather them do like a $50 OBC than 2x Palo honestly, it’s already an issue on ships like the Wish to book in the first place!

I’m surprised Disney hasn’t done something like one free drink per day for Platinums (or potentially a trade for the free Palo meal on cruises under 7 nights), they likely wouldn’t lose much money from it. Maybe they should go to pick a perk vs just free Palo.

 

[Mommb]

I’m surprised Disney hasn’t done something like one free drink per day for Platinums (or potentially a trade for the free Palo meal on cruises under 7 nights), they likely wouldn’t lose much money from it. Maybe they should go to pick a perk vs just free Palo.

Free drinks does seem like an easy and inexpensive perk to provide. When I cruised Concierge on the Magic shortly before the dry dock that built the Concierge lounge, I was able to get free specialty coffee/tea from lounges around the ship, so that capability should be readily available. Maybe Platinum could get 1 drink per day and Pearl could get 2 drinks, including alcoholic drinks for those over 21.

The trouble with "choose a perk" in place of free Palo is the need to track what each guest chooses. It's one thing to deliver chocolate or fruit or whatever else Platinum gets, when that is a one-time delivery to a stateroom. It would be more difficult if someone in the room wants Palo, and someone wants daily drinks, and someone wants a WiFi package... Given the difficulties with online check-in, I don't have confidence in DCL's ability to update KTTW cards to reflect each guest's preference.

Free Remy/Enchante (or 2 free Palo)

I’d rather them do like a $50 OBC than 2x Palo honestly, it’s already an issue on ships like the Wish to book in the first place!

Yes, Palo filling up with Platinum bookings is apparently a problem, so providing another free/reduced Palo meal might not be a good idea. I like giving 1 reservation to Platinum or above and an additional OBC to Pearl.

The problem with using Remy/Enchante as a perk is that it's not available on all ships, so there would be an outcry from Wonder and Magic passengers to give them something else of equal value. Then some Dream/Fantasy/Wish passengers would want that instead of Remy/Enchante.

 

[jrapps]

Free drinks does seem like an easy and inexpensive perk to provide. When I cruised Concierge on the Magic shortly before the dry dock that built the Concierge lounge, I was able to get free specialty coffee/tea from lounges around the ship, so that capability should be readily available. Maybe Platinum could get 1 drink per day and Pearl could get 2 drinks, including alcoholic drinks for those over 21.

The trouble with "choose a perk" in place of free Palo is the need to track what each guest chooses. It's one thing to deliver chocolate or fruit or whatever else Platinum gets, when that is a one-time delivery to a stateroom. It would be more difficult if someone in the room wants Palo, and someone wants daily drinks, and someone wants a WiFi package... Given the difficulties with online check-in, I don't have confidence in DCL's ability to update KTTW cards to reflect each guest's preference.




Yes, Palo filling up with Platinum bookings is apparently a problem, so providing another free/reduced Palo meal might not be a good idea. I like giving 1 reservation to Platinum or above and an additional OBC to Pearl.

The problem with using Remy/Enchante as a perk is that it's not available on all ships, so there would be an outcry from Wonder and Magic passengers to give them something else of equal value. Then some Dream/Fantasy/Wish passengers would want that instead of Remy/Enchante.

How about 1 free specialty meal per cruise, up to $45 value for Platinum and up to $125 value for Pearl.

If your Platinum, it would either cover the cover charge cost of Palo or apply a $45 discount to Remy/enchete.

If you're pearl, it would cover Remy/Enchente, or if you choose to go to Palo instead (or on a ship that doesn't have the other restaurants) you have $125 credit and aren't limited to the $45 price fixed menu, or you could add the wine pairing.

I also think if for Platinum they turn it into a $45 credit that could be used either restaurant that might help fix the problems with Palo filling up. Enchente would siphon some of those Platinums

 

[soniam]

We all knew the rules of DCL’s loyalty program when we started cruising with them. To hope it would change or to be angry about it is pointless. Spend your dollars where you feel most satisfied, even if the loyalty program isn’t great. There are a lot of good options available.

 

[CastawayCayLover]

Oh, I get it. I'm Platinum, also. I love that I can (could) arrive when I wished.

I was just pointing out that PATs were part of the process from the beginning at PC. At least since we've started cruising with DCL.

Not so sure about the from the beginning statement. Our very first cruise back in 2002 as far as I knew we didn't have a port arrival time. We probably got there at 9 in the morning (a little excited) and waited in the parking lot (no parking garage yet) until they would let us in the building.

There also wasn't a queue leading up to the funnel ears so we camped out right next to them and were the first to board the ship. A couple of lifetimes ago when it comes to DCL's processes but it was great.

 

[DCLMP]

I would like to Pearl have guaranteed Palo reservations. Many of that cruise a lot book closer to sail date then 4 months.

 

[DCLMP]

We all knew the rules of DCL’s loyalty program when we started cruising with them. To hope it would change or to be angry about it is pointless. Spend your dollars where you feel most satisfied, even if the loyalty program isn’t great. There are a lot of good options available.

The rules haven’t changed but they sure have taken stuff away.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Did platinum ever have anything good?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Did platinum ever have anything good?

In my opinion/experience I think the "best" Platinum perk was the free meal at Palo. And the early booking dates and check in/excursion booking dates.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

In my opinion/experience I think the "best" Platinum perk was the free meal at Palo. And the early booking dates and check in/excursion booking dates.

Meh.

I’d take private character meet and priority seating for seats for sure.

 

[DCLMP]

Did platinum ever get additional OBC when booking onboard? I thought at one time they did. Regardless I'd like to see them bring back the OBC for booking onboard. At least offer Platinum and Pearl something.

 

[DCL Repeaters]

Did platinum ever get additional OBC when booking onboard? I thought at one time they did. Regardless I'd like to see them bring back the OBC for booking onboard. At least offer Platinum and Pearl something.

$350 OBC for Platinum back in 2009. That last only a few years. Gold received $275 and Silver received $200.

 

[ImprovGal]

My point was people that take short cruises will still be pearl status either way. I have no problem however they decide to do it. If they do it by number of nights it should be significantly higher than 100.

Just looking at the Princess Cruise Line website (since it was presented as an example in this thread), I see that they used a 10-day cruise as the average length for calculating their "cruise day" alternative milestone. So using that conversion rate, it would be comparable for Disney to set Platinum at 10 cruises/100 nights and Pearl at 25 cruises/250 nights.

As for me, I've sailed 35 cruises so I'll be granted Pearl level at the onset. I've lost track of my number of cruise days sailed, but my best guess at distribution is 1/2 were in the 4-7 night range, and 1/2 were at least 9 nighters. Lately I'd been favoring the longer cruises like TATL and PC.

I do see that Princess gives double credit when sailing in a full suite OR when sailing as a solo paying full single supplement. I'm in full support of those adjustment factors to the counts. Most of my cruises were sailed as a solo occupancy cabin.

 

[Kwami]

Just looking at the Princess Cruise Line website (since it was presented as an example in this thread), I see that they used a 10-day cruise as the average length for calculating their "cruise day" alternative milestone. So using that conversion rate, it would be comparable for Disney to set Platinum at 10 cruises/100 nights and Pearl at 25 cruises/250 nights.

Disney offers very few 10-night cruises, though. Almost everyone would hit the #cruises threshold first. And then, what's the point?

 

[DCLMP]

The longer cruises are in Europe. Other than Hawaii and Panama I can't think of any other long cruises Disney has offered out of North America.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The longer cruises are in Europe. Other than Hawaii and Panama I can't think of any other long cruises Disney has offered out of North America.

We did an 11 night southern Caribbean out of Port Canaveral.

 

[dad of 3 addicted to DCL]

The longer cruises are in Europe. Other than Hawaii and Panama I can't think of any other long cruises Disney has offered out of North America.

11 Night Southern Caribbean out of Port Canaveral in 2019. Great Cruise.

 

[DCLMP]

11 Night Southern Caribbean out of Port Canaveral in 2019. Great Cruise.

Sounds wonderful. I guess they have a 10 night next year. Super-duper expensive though. I think the point is there is only a handful of cruises over ten nights each year. Disney doesn't have the fleet to do what other cruise lines do. The majority of their cruises are 3-7 nights and they are triple the cost of other cruise lines. That is probably why the do it by cruises and not by nights.

 

[bigAWL]

I'm Platinum with 13 cruises and over 100 nights. I'm never going to reach Pearl.

Honestly, I don't see Disney making any changes, like adding a new way to count nights, that would bump anyone else up in status from where they are now. That would just be more people to find perks for. Obviously they have heard lots of Platinum cruisers asking about perks coming back, but I think they have more Platinum cruisers than they know what to do with. I bet they would love to go back and increase all the thresholds to spread it out, but decided to go with a new level set so high that they could actually provide some real perks to the new Pearl folks (and I really hope they do, because you all deserve something!). I think they see Platinum as the new Gold, and we won't see much coming back our way -- there are just too many of us.